A New Beginning: 1934-Present

"When they awoke the next morning they found beside them a
stalk of corn that had already grown. A voice said to them that
this was Mother Corn; that they should use it again…It was promised
further on that they would have their grass lodge built and would
be given plenty of things to use; and there would be corn planted
by the lodge which they were to eat."-Tawakoni Jim inThe Mythology
of the Wichita, 1904

Wichita history has been one of endurance and survival despite
overwhelming adversity. Although village and communal life was
destroyed with the loss of reservation land in 1900 and the grass
lodges replaced by frame houses by the 1930's, the Wichita people
have preserved many elements of their culture for the present and
future generations. These descendants of the Wichita, Waco,
Tawakoni, Taovaya and Kichai people survive as a group perhaps
because of their shared memories of the past as well as common
experiences of the present and their faith in the future.

Organized as the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes, the center of
activity is at Anadarko, Oklahoma, where the tribal park and office
buildings are located. The tribal government, established under the
Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 and the Oklahoma Indian Welfare
Act of 1936, consists of a President and Executive Committee who
are elected to four-year terms by the enrolled tribal members. The
Wichita also joined with the Caddo and Delaware tribes to form WCD
Enterprises, an organization that promotes business
development.

While developing new skills at technical institutions, colleges
and universities, Wichita people attempt to maintain their
identities and links with the past. Some young people attend
college during the week, returning home on weekends and holidays to
participate in family and community gatherings. Here, memories of
the past are shared with the younger generation by relating stories
of life in the grass house villages of the Southern Plains or of
growing up on farms and in rural communities in early Oklahoma.

Memories to share with future generations are also being formed
at contemporary tribal and intertribal dances and gatherings that
take place in Anadarko, Gracemont, Pawnee and other communities.
Because of the active presence of grandparents in the daily lives
of children, some of the most vital elements of traditional
culture, knowledge and skills are transferred to the younger
generation.

Over the years, the Wichita Mission and the Rock Spring Baptist
Church have been the locations of Wichita services, dinners and
camp meetings. Both churches continue to have active members who
often sing hymns in the Wichita language. The Native American
Church, with its emphasis upon gaining spiritual knowledge through
personal revelation, also continues to be a focus of Wichita
religious life.

Another continuing tradition is the yearly summer Visitation that
takes place between the Wichita and Pawnee people. These
visits, in which each tribe alternates as host, consist of two-week
encampments during which friendships and family ties are recognized
through a ceremonial exchange of gifts. Individuals have the
opportunity to visit, remember the stories and songs of the past,
and to recall the long-standing relationship that has existed
between these two groups.